Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advance copy of Right on Cue in exchange for my honest review and opinion. This book had forced proximity and enemies to lovers which is *chef's kiss* of mix! I'm not usually a big celebrity romance before, but I did enjoy this one. It had some cheesy lines, but what rom-com, doesn't?

I really enjoyed this book. It had a great pace, good character development, and a story I wanted to keep reading. I loved that Emmy and Grayson had flaws that were highlighted.I enjoyed seeing their perspectives on their past and them finding their way back to each other eventually.

5 ⭐️
Tropes: forced proximity, enemies to lovers, costars with benefits, second change romance, celebrity romance

I’m an absolute sucker for enemies to lovers / forced proximity romances and this hit all the right spots. If my tropes list alone did not convince you to read this let me tell you more! This was swoon worthy; honestly rom-com perfection and it felt like you were watching a movie while you read. It was fun and captivating in the best ways. All of the characters were lovable with good character development, the plot / location was adorable AND even the hated third act breakup was tolerable. I know, I know we all hate those third act breakups but I think this was needed for them to realize they were it for each other.

Emmy Harper was an actor turned screenwriter and known as the queen of rom-coms. After the death of her father and some time away she was finally in a place to write love stories again and create rom-com magic. Except no one they auditioned could bring her leading lady to life, so she was convinced to act in her own movie. After she was finally convinced and on location - there was a last minute change to casting she was not prepared for. Grayson F*CKING West is now the male lead and the bane of her existence. Not only did she hate Grayson but he was the reason why her acting career tanked when she was younger and never took off. Now they are not only forced to act in her movie together but they have to ACT like they love each other and that proved to be harder than they thought. They needed to get their act together or risk tanking this movie…sooo Harper suggests they take all that pent up sexual tension and use it to their advantage in a costars with benefits agreement.

“One time only. No strings. There’s clearly some tension here. Let’s cut it and save this movie”

BUT it wasn’t long before their agreement muddied the waters and turned into something they were not expecting.

This was my second book by Fallon Ballard and I loved this one just as much. I absolutely ADORED this and cannot recommend this book and this author enough!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Four stars for Right on Cue! I went into this one a little hesitant, honestly. Celebrity romances can be a tough sell for me – often too dramatic, and I struggle to connect with characters whose lives are so far removed from my own. But Falon Ballard totally won me over. This wasn't the angst-fest I feared. Instead, it was a light and fun read. The story had a great balance of humor, a compelling central conflict, and just the right amount of spice. Sure, there were a few moments of silliness and maybe a touch of immaturity from the characters (Emmy's childhood grudge against Grayson felt a little drawn out), but they were handled well, and thankfully, the dreaded miscommunication trope was kept to a minimum. I especially loved the peek behind the scenes of filmmaking, from the intimacy coordinator's work to the small-town setting. The inclusion of press articles and tabloid gossip added a fun layer of realism, too. While enemies-to-lovers isn't usually my favorite, the way it played out here, with Emmy's initial animosity driving the tension, worked surprisingly well. And let's be honest, the co-workers-with-benefits dynamic definitely added some heat!

If you're a fan of celebrity romances, especially those with a healthy dose of steam, Right on Cue is definitely worth checking out. Big thanks to G.P. Putnam's Sons for the ARC!

A disappointing read, filled with superficial characters and cheesy lines. Very disappointing compared to this author’s past works that I’ve loved!

I am never disappointed picking up a Falon Ballard book! She's a sincerely underrated author and I can't wait for her next book.

"Love is only complicated when we make it complicated."

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for giving me an ARC of Right on Cue in exchange for an honest review.

Emmy Harper has always kn0wn exactly where she belongs on a film set- behind the camera as a screenwriter. After suffering extreme humiliation on her first film at fifteen years old, Emmy swore to herself she would never get in front of a camera again. However, circumstances change after Emmy and her best friend and director, Liz cannot find the leading lady for their next film, No Reservations. Emmy has no choice except to once again step in front of the camera, only for the unexpected and absolutely unwanted to happen- she is acting alongside her very first costar, Grayson West- the man she blames for the end of her acting career. The movie risks being ended if they cannot figure out how to work together- on and off screen.

This book had a super fun premise and almost read like a Hallmark movie, with the idyllic setting and the hot leading man. I enjoyed Grayson as a character and the development he had throughout the book. He went from someone I knew nothing about (and who you could tell was hiding something) to a kind and caring person that I figured out was just trying to do right by everyone else. I also loved Emmy's hair and makeup team, Sam and Amanda. They were the best friends that supported Emmy but also gave her tough love when she needed it.

Then there was Emmy. For most of the book, she felt incredibly insufferable as well as immature because she would not take any kind of responsibility for her own actions and just kept blaming Grayson for everything without even talking to him. She kept claiming that she wasn't doing anything wrong even though everyone else was telling her she was. She thought that because she was the screenwriter/leading lady, she could say or do whatever she wanted. I also thought that the third act breakup was entirely unnneccesary and destroyed all of the character development that Emmy had throughout the second half of the book. I think that Grayson should have made her grovel more before he forgave her.

Overall, I would give this book 3 stars for the supporting cast, a quick and easy read, and a fun setting.

Thank you to @netgalley and @putnambooks for a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you to @prhaudio for a free download of the audiobook.

Falon Ballard's Right on Cue might sound like a Hallmark movie on paper, but it's so much more. It offers a behind-the-scenes glimpse into a classic rom-com trope, where you know the general direction of the story, but the journey is refreshingly real. Instead of contrived plot devices creating conflict, Emily and Greyson face genuinely relatable, plausible obstacles. The story consistently grounds itself in the reality of their lives, rather than leaning into predictable movie tropes.

Ballard strikes a perfect balance between classic romance elements and a fresh perspective. The descriptions are vivid without being overly flowery, the dialogue sparkles with natural cultural references, and Emily's internal struggles resonate with the anxieties anyone would feel in her situation. The romance is present and engaging, with just the right amount of spice to feel authentic.

I enhanced my reading experience with the audiobook, and Rachel L. Jacobs delivered a fantastic performance as both Emmy and Greyson! I especially appreciated the text message exchanges towards the end, which featured both Jacobs and Curt Bonnem (who also narrated the mixed media sections). While two other female narrators were listed, I found it difficult to distinguish between their individual performances.

This is clearly a story written by an author who understands her audience. That confidence and connection shine through, elevating Right on Cue beyond typical romantic comedy fare.

5 stars

#books #bookishlife #booklover #readingisfun #iowabookstagrammers #iowabookstagram #netgalley #putnambooks #prhaudio #ltbreaderteam #rightoncue #falonballard

Did you know Grayson FUCKING west smells like pine and charcoal 🫠 okay tbh kinda cute but the third act conflict was v annoying and Emmy was so immature.

I love a co-star romance, and this was really well written. The chemistry sizzles. The dialogue crackles, and the whole thing feels surprisingly intimate. It felt good to root for the characters again and a smidge like therapy.

I strongly recommend this if you need a shot of feel good in these stressful times.

Right on Cue is a fun enemies to lovers romance set on a movie location. Ballard did such a great job establishing Grayson West, a famous and hunky action star, as a jerk that it was hard to imagine how he and FMC Emmy Harper would ever see each other as romantic interests. But the author deftly pulls it off, eventually revealing Grayson to be much more than expected - both a good actor and a good human. As screenwriter and new-ish actor Emmy falls in lust and love, the trajectory of their whirlwind showmance feels believable.

Oh man the sexual chemistry in this book was off the charts! Wow, I loved Lease On Love and was so excited to start this one. Emmy and Grayson were incredibly real people who were flawed in many ways. I thought this was a steamy and hot read from Falon and can wait to read more from her.

Thank you for the opportunity to review this new novel.

This was not my favorite book by this author, unfortunately.

Such a cute romance! Celebrity, tension, enemy to lovers? Sign me up! I really liked the FMC, Emmy. Grayson took me a bit. Once they leaned more into the lovers instead of enemies, he grew on me more. The book has a huge miscommunication trope that felt cliche, especially in the third act break up.

Falon Ballard writes Romance in such a fun way, this was such a fun and light read, who does not love an underdog story and celebrity love? I know I am a huge fan of it! From someone who adores the movie filming process, this book gave us insight to what it takes. Especially when it includes explanation of what an intimacy coordinator is to explaining the film location which was ab amazing small town location, I felt like I was part of the movie crew. The way enemies to lovers is used here was so good, they hated each other, but when they realized that hate was misplaced it was so good to see them fall in love!!

READ THIS BOOK!

When starting the book I thought it had a cute premise. I liked how it kept the past a secret and slowly revealed things. As the past situation between the FMC and MMC was revealed, I really don't understand why it was such a huge deal at least compared to the way she was acting. And even with the FMC being Hollywood legacy, she had acted only once and was such a natural that she was the only one who could do the movie? So somehow these amazing things happened to her and the only bad thing from years ago was so traumatic she couldn't face it. It didn't seem like she had a lot of growth and wasn't super realistic.

Right on Cue by Falon Ballard is a charming and fun romance that effortlessly blends humor with heartfelt moments. With endearing characters and a captivating plot, it’s a delightful, feel-good read perfect for any rom-com lover.

This book was so cute! Emmy and Grayson’s love-hate chemistry was so fun to read, and their banter kept me hooked. I loved the Hollywood setting and all the behind-the-scenes drama, and the mix of humor and heart made it such an enjoyable read. It’s the perfect feel-good romance for anyone who loves enemies-to-lovers vibes!

Thank you netgalley and Penguin

I think "Right on Cue" tipped on this line of me wanting more and the book never forming into the areas that I wanted the most for the characters to experience. Ballard presents an image of these character that don't seem to really challenged what they want so much, and why specifically each of their wants is so important to the life that image with each other.

"Right on Cue" pits Emmy and Grayson against each other on and off camera, with a dash of Hollywood glamour and romance. With its lighthearted and humorous tone, "Right on Cue" offers a fun and flirty take on the enemies-to-lovers trope. This one didn't bring as much of a star experience as I had hoped but it is the first time I've read this author so I'm eager to read more from her and see if I discover a winner!